Barrister or solicitor? The differences explained Andrew and Andrew Solicitors Limited If you live in the UK and require legal services, you may be seeking the advice of solicitors Portsmouth to help you with your legal case But when your case goes to court, you may be faced with another client with a legal professional who seemingly has the same role as your solicitors Portsmouth; a barrister. This can create a fair amount of confusion; what exactly is the difference between solicitors Portsmouth and barristers? And why does one of them only seem to appear in a courtroom? Is there a significant difference? If you are looking to hire a legal team to fight your corner, or if you have simply wondered about this question before, then read on. You will be introduced to the differences in the UK between solicitors Portsmouth and barristers. Solicitors Portsmouth are legal professionals who are hired from a firm to represent their client, either in the courtroom or in mediation sessions. They have many areas which they cover based on their speciality, which can include probate, family law, conveyancing law, or criminal law. So, depending on what your requirements are, there is a legal firm out there that can help you What can a solicitor do? A barrister is a legal professional who operates within a courtroom setting, and has a similar role to a solicitor. They, however, usually work in the highest courts, such as the Crown Court and are trained in litigation within a courtroom setting. They may be called upon to provide legal feedback to the judge or other professionals within the court, as well as highlight potential issues in the strategy of the defence or the prosecution. A barrister can represent you in a courtroom, but this will be in conjunction with your general solicitors Portsmouth. What can a barrister do? The differences between solicitors and barristers do not stop there. Key differences Both solicitors Portsmouth and barristers are trained in law. While you can get solicitors who specialise in one area, barristers are even more specialised than the average legal professional. Barristers also have more courtroom experience than the average legal representative and will be able to help in only certain cases for defence or representation. In short, it would be very unlikely for you to be able to find the contact number for a barrister online. Specialised Solicitors Portsmouth have to undertake extensive education, such as a law degree and further training. A barrister has even more specialised education and is generally engaged in law studies for longer. Barristers within the UK also have to pass the bar professional training course on top of standard law qualifications. So, of the two, solicitors Portsmouth are likely to be more affordable for most people than barristers. Education A legal representative will usually charge their client by the hour. Or may offer a standard fee with all services included. Barristers also typically charge by the hour, but due to their higher education, their specialisation and the additional training and experience in a courtroom setting, their fee will generally be higher. So for the majority of people seeking legal representation, solicitors Portsmouth are the more affordable and more practical option. Fees https ://a2so l i c i tors . co .uk/ ht tps ://www.bars tandardsboard .org .uk/for- the- publ i c/about-barr i s ters .h tml ht tps ://so l i c i tors . lawsoc iety .org .uk/ Sources :